Staff of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KADECO) have begun an indefinite strike in response to an alleged plan by the management to lay off over 900 workers.
The protesting employees are also demanding the payment of about five years’ outstanding pension to retirees, better provision of essential work tools, long-overdue promotions, and implementation of the 2024 National Minimum Wage.
Additional grievances include the failure to pay death benefits to families of deceased staff, improper placement of employees, non-payment of electricity rebates, and lack of recognition for long-serving workers.
In a letter dated January 31, 2025, KADECO’s management instructed affected workers to return all company property to the human resources department, stating that plans were in place to settle their severance packages.
The letter, signed by Deputy Managing Director Abubakar Mohammed, informed the affected staff that their services would no longer be required from that date.
In protest, the aggrieved workers, under the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), blocked the entrance to KADECO’s corporate headquarters on Monday, preventing both staff and customers from accessing the premises.
They accused the management of high-handedness and blatant disregard for industrial agreements.
The Chairman of NUEE’s Kaduna State Council, Comrade Sheyin Nuhu Wakili, told journalists that the union was determined to resist the mass layoffs, while also demanding exit benefits for employees who resigned or retired over the past five years.
